


Ascend

by Cardinal_Daughter



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, First Time (Turning Super Saiyan), Missing Three Years, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 18:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7812886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardinal_Daughter/pseuds/Cardinal_Daughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the moments after his greatest triumph, all Vegeta wants to do is find Bulma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ascend

**Author's Note:**

> No beta. Please excuse any mistakes. 
> 
> I can't get enough of these two. They are such adorable idiots.

It hits him in an instant. He’s long imagined how it would happen, how it will feel when he finally transforms, and he’s certain that at some point in his hundreds of imaginings, he’s envisioned it this way. He’s in the gravity chamber, the settings maxed out just as far as his own efforts, and it comes upon him like shot; one moment he’s on the ground, struggling to rise to his feet- rage and pride and longing and the entire weight of his people hanging on his shoulders- and the next he feels a wave of  _ something _ overcome him and before he has a moment to savor the experience, he erupts, golden energy bursting out of him like a secret that can no longer be contained, and when his body stops shaking, when his mind begins to focus, and his vision clears, he sees it: in the reflection of the metallic panels that make up the gravity room, he can see his glowing reflection staring back at him.

 

He’s done it.

 

He’s transformed into the legendary Super Saiyan. After all this time, after every moment of agonizing struggle and desire and determination, he’s finally,  _ finally _ , done it. A lifetime of yearning to live up to - and surpass- all expectations laid upon him by his name, his heritage, has finally come to fruition. In the golden aura that envelops him, radiates off him and warms him to the point of almost dizziness, he relishes the fact that after all this time, he stands triumphant on his personal battlefield, the trembling energy bending to his will his prize. He has ascended, and nothing can stop him now. 

 

And in this moment of triumph, in this moment where his potential has been met, where he has achieved what his father could not- all he can think of is the fact that he wants to tell Bulma. 

 

_ Bulma. _ Her name is a blessing and a curse; a motivation and a distraction. He never expected to appreciate the Earthling’s contributions, but now he thinks that he wouldn’t be standing where he is right now without her. She’s loud and brash and impatient and defiant, but he is those things too according to her, and though they clashed from the moment their eyes caught one another’s, there’s been some strange, unspoken understanding between them. An understanding that ultimately led to what Vegeta is certain others would refer to as  _ friendship _ . 

 

They fight. Every encounter ends with her fuming at something he said or did, and almost as often Vegeta is stunned by her vulgar behavior, which he now knows she does partly to get a rise out of him. But through all the name-calling and insults and hot-headed temperament that they share, there is something about her that Vegeta  _ respects. _ She is a brilliant woman, and hours spent yelling at each other while he watched her fix the gravity machine turned into hours of hesitant revelations about their interests, their pasts, their goals and ambitions. She is a driven woman, and she wants to make a difference in the world.  He knows that she wants things the people she also calls ‘friends’ don’t understand. She doesn’t want the ‘white picket fence life’ as she called it one day. She isn’t Chi-Chi. She strives for other things. 

 

He remembers her telling him once about her relationship with Yamcha after he’d sarcastically asked her what she saw in the weakling, and she confessed that it was a girlish first love that no longer held the weight of what she - as a woman - desired. She’d held on for the comfort and nostalgia, but even that had run dry and cracked from her inability to properly care for the fragile thing between them. 

 

“He thinks marriage will fix things,” Bulma says one day as she toys with a malfunctioning droid, “But he doesn’t seem to understand that I don’t want marriage. Hand me that flat-head screwdriver, please.” 

 

She speaks of Yamcha with mechanical indifference, so unlike the way she discusses robotics, or how she yells at him. In those moments Vegeta imagines that she might be a Saiyan herself, full of rage and passion. Sometimes he envisions her with the same glowing blonde hair that marks a Super Saiyan and thinks it would suit her. 

 

Remembering himself, he lets go of the energy that is holding him together, and when the magnificent pull of energy dwindles, he collapses to his knees, then crawls over to the panel and shuts off the machine. When the gravity returns to normal, Vegeta stands, and with shaking legs and thundering heart, he leaves in search of the one person on this planet who will care about the miracle that has just taken place. He doesn’t know  _ why _ he wants to tell her, but he feels the pull toward her, as strong and demanding as the drive to become a Super Saiyan had been. He needs to tell her, needs to see the look on her face when she realizes what he’s done. 

 

He doesn't know why he needs it; but he also doesn’t care. 

 

\-------

 

Bulma is in her lab, fiddling with the dragon radar, making minor modifications to it while she waits on her father to get back from picking up the parts they need to finish their current project. It’s been a slow day, all things considered, with her mother out teaching a baking class, Vegeta training, and Yamcha….well. 

 

She doesn’t want to think about Yamcha. That ship has sailed, and she’s on the shore, glad to no longer be on the rocking, unsteady boat that had been doomed to sink from the moment it took its first voyage. Instead, her thoughts float back to Vegeta, and she wonders just how his training is going. She doesn’t like to bother him when he’s in the gravity room unless she has no other choice: he’s not just training for the hell of it, she reminds herself, he’s training to defeat the androids. Whether he’ll stick around after that is still yet to be seen, but she hopes he will, if only to bask in his triumph. 

 

_ With me _ , she thinks absently. 

 

The door slides open a moment later, and Bulma doesn’t bother to look up. “Need a hand with those, Dad?” 

 

When there’s no response, Bulma does look away from the radar, startling slightly to see Vegeta standing there instead of her father, sweaty, bruised, and breathing heavily. Bulma’s on her feet in an instant, ready to ask if he’s alright, or if the machine messed up again. But then she sees it: the look in his eyes that she’s never quite seen before, but knows instantly what it means. Her hands fly to cover her slack-jawed mouth, and she mumbles, the sound muffled from behind her hands,“You did it.” 

 

He nods once, his pride and satisfaction brimming hotly just under the surface. He watches her from across the room for one long moment as she processes the new information, then she does something completely unexpected- and somehow entirely hoped for: she lets out a squeal of delight, a piercing burst of sound that normally would make Vegeta wince, but he’s too distracted by the fact that she’s rushing across the room to fling her arms around his neck. 

 

“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” She says as she squeezes him. Bulma is a tactile person, and in the year that he’s been here, he’s managed to get used to her touches and hugs. She holds him tight, her whole body trembling and shaking in her own excitement, and Vegeta allows himself a moment of indulgence, and wraps his own arms around her lower back. “I knew you would do it,” she whispers to him, voice radiating her pride and happiness she feels over his triumph. “I just  _ knew  _ it!” 

 

All his life, Vegeta has had comrades, partners with whom he was meant to trust his life. Never has he trusted anyone with the same degree of intensity and certainty that he trusts Bulma Briefs, and the revelation is an astounding one. She wants him to transform simply because he wanted it, and she’s done everything in her power to make that transformation possible. She celebrates now, not because she gains anything for his success, but merely because she is  _ happy _ for him. There are so many foreign concepts there that Vegeta wonders how he even manages to understand the woman’s motivations, but then, she’s never kept them secret. 

 

But it feels  _ good _ ; not only to succeed, but to share that success with someone who responds in such a supportive way. 

 

And isn’t that the very definition of Bulma Briefs, Vegeta thinks, she  _ supports _ . 

 

It’s on the tip of his tongue to thank her-  _ to thank her!- _ when she pulls away just enough so she can properly look at him once more. “Show me! Can you show me? How does it work? Do you have to wait after the first time to recharge or once you get it can you just do it?” 

 

“If you shut up for one moment, I’ll show you,” he interrupts harshly, but there’s no real bite behind his words. He knows Bulma knows he’ll never hurt her. Once that knowledge might have upset him. Now it’s an easy truth. 

 

“Okay,” she says, mouth grinning so wide Vegeta wonders if her face might split. He releases her just long enough to grab her wrist with the intention of leading her back to the gravity room where none of her machines and projects will be at risk from the energy he’ll release. After a few steps he intends to let go, but Bulma’s hand twists and she wraps her fingers with his, practically skipping at his side in excitement, and Vegeta can’t think of a reason good enough to pull away. 

 

They reach the gravity room and Bulma lets go to move to the control panel, where she hops up onto the slanted metal, thighs hitting buttons that thankfully do nothing since the machine is shut off. She leans forward, eyeing him like an experiment, and smiles. “Well?” 

 

He’s weak; the transformation took a toll on him, but he knows he can do it again. He feels the flicker of power resting in his gut, and is confident he can draw it forth, even if it takes a little effort. He stands facing Bulma, though he keeps a respectable distance, and begins to power up. He struggles, but pushes forward, his focus on the blue-haired woman waiting with baited breath across the room. He watches her, watches as she looks on in excitement and awe at his power, and with a flutter in his chest that he can’t name, he cries out and transforms again. 

 

The second time is not nearly as phenomenal as the first, but it leaves Bulma in awe, and that’s enough for the moment. She sits still, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as she takes in the sight of the golden-haired god before her. He stands straight, feet shoulder width apart and hands on his hips, triumph making the glow all the brighter.

 

“Well?” He asks, almost impatiently, “What do you think of the legendary Super Saiyan?” 

 

She’s seen Goku transform before, and as impressive as it was, it’s nothing compared to the smug display before her. Sliding off the panel, she walks toward him as if magnetically drawn to the energy, and stops just out of arm's reach. Lifting her hand, she questions softly, “Can I?” 

 

Uncertain of what she wants exactly, Vegeta nods aftera moment’s consideration. Stepping closer, Bulma lets her hand drift into the aura that surrounds him, gasping when it connects with her skin. “It’s so warm,” she breathes, mind whirling as she tries to define, understand what she’s seeing. “It tingles against my skin.” She turns her hand so that it hovers palm up between them, then moves again, to rest on Vegeta’s chest. He glances to where they’re touching, then watches as she comes closer again, her other hand lifting to rest on his shoulder. “This is incredible,” she whispers, meeting his eyes which have turned blue under the influence of such power. “You’re so….” she breaks off, not certain how to describe just what she’s witnessing. A surge of pride swells in Vegeta’s chest.  _ This _ is a reaction worthy of the transformation: awe and wonder. 

 

He’s surprised to discover he  _ likes _ the way Bulma looks right now. He’s even more surprised when he realizes he wants to make her look like this more often: dazed, speechless, eyes wide and dark, breath light and quick, almost as if she were-

 

Oh. 

 

_ Oh.  _

 

She is  _ aroused _ by him. By his power. He recalls that one factor in choosing a mate for Saiyans was based on the other’s power. There was no desire for weakling children, so the stronger a Saiyan, the more appealing they were. But strength was not a measurement of worth on Earth; money was. Influence, beauty, all superficial things of which Vegeta had none. 

 

But it hardly seemed to matter to Bulma. She has all those things in abundance. She can have any man she wants- if she wants- but here she is, attracted to  _ him _ , in part because of the incredible display of power he’d just exhibited. 

 

She may not have the strength of one, but Bulma Briefs actions and desires mark her as Saiyan in the ways that matter.

 

And that fact, coupled with the same blind ambition that drove Vegeta to transform, that drove him to find Bulma to share in his triumph drives him now.  Without allowing himself time to think, he surges forward, needing her to know just how much her response means to him. 

 

His lips crash against hers hard, and he feels her tense briefly before she responds in kind. This- whatever this is- is a triumph on its own. It feels wonderful to have her pressed against him, to hold her here as his power engulfs them both in the hot thrumming of energy set forth from within him. In this moment, Vegeta thinks he has everything he needs: power and Bulma. 

 

He’s never wanted to share anything before. He’s never been inclined to share, to experience something with someone merely for the sake of it. But now he wants nothing more than to share this with Bulma. His elation, his relief, his confusion, his...desire. All of it is hers as much as it is his, and he pulls her to him, one arm around her waist, the other gripping her curly mass of hair as he moves his mouth against hers, clueless as to whether this is right, but desperate to show her just how much he reciprocates that want. 

 

Her fingers dig into his arms, and he feels a growl rumble in his throat. Against him, Bulma sighs and there’s something in that sweet little whisper of a sound that tugs at Vegeta, and he wants to hear it again. Hauling her against him, he uses his superior strength to lift her into his arms- practically purring when her legs wrap around his waist, her ankle digging into the spot where his tail used to be- and carries her over to the control panel where she’d sat earlier and presses her against it, leaning over to keep kissing her in that desperate manner that he doesn’t understand and doesn’t want to. 

 

Sliding her hands up, she cups his face between them, fingers soft and gentle, two sensations he’s not used to feeling, and deepens the kiss, hungry and demanding. She breaks away for a moment to take a breath and murmur his name, the sound sending a jolt of electricity down his spine, then resumes kissing him, squeezing him between her legs in an effort to bring him closer to her. 

 

Eventually the kiss ends and Vegeta takes a moment to look at the woman before him. She looks even more dazed than before, lips red and swollen and hair mussed by his hands. She’s flushed as if she’d just come from a battle. In some ways, perhaps she has. 

 

There has never been a lovelier sight in Vegeta’s eyes.  

 

“Wow,” she gasps, eyes lifting to meet his, which are distracted by the rapid movement of her chest. When her breathing slows, Vegeta’s gaze returns to her face, searching for the fear that he knows should be there. 

 

It isn’t. 

 

There’s only wonder, slight confusion, and irritation that they’ve stopped. 

 

“Yes.” He doesn’t know what to say. Rarely does he know what to say in front of her, and now it’s even more clear to him that for all that they’ve gotten to know each other the past year, he still doesn’t really know how to handle her. She’s adapted much better than he has, and once more he has to acknowledge the respect he has for her.

 

She allows herself a moment to catch her breath, then gently moves her hand to push at his chest, signaling she wants to sit up properly. Vegeta lets her, and she drops her legs, but keeps one hand on him, sliding it down so that it’s resting on his hip. “I don’t know if it will mean anything to you,” she says slowly, “But I’m proud of you.” 

 

It means everything. 

 

He isn’t ready to acknowledge that though, so he ‘harrumphs’ and looks away, embarrassed, and murmurs a small ‘thank you.’ 

 

Her hand squeezes his hip just slightly, encouraging him to look at her. He does after several long seconds, refusing to give her the satisfaction of immediate obedience, and when he looks at her, he sees something in her eyes that reflect in his own, nameless but growing and spreading so quickly that it will soon take over every free space left in his heart. He’s of no inclination to stop it. “This is a big deal,” she says, and it couldn’t be more true. “Vegeta, you  _ did it _ .” 

 

He nods, and the energy finally takes its toll and he is forced to release it, and he feels almost as if he is withering when the power leaves him. Bulma’s hand on his side keeps him from collapsing. “I did it,” he repeats, and oh! He wishes his father were here; he wishes Frieza were here to see the transformation. He would relish that, he thinks, to see the look of horror similar to when that mysterious boy transformed and destroyed the monster with hardly any effort at all. But more than that, he relishes the look on Bulma’s face, staring at him with true appreciation for what he’s done. And that is more important, he decides, than any amount of fear that would have spawned in Frieza’s gaze. Bulma  _ appreciates _ . She understands. She cares. She is the only person who knows what this means to him, what this means for his heritage, for his legacy. 

 

He trusts no one else enough to reveal to them all he’s revealed to her. 

 

And now, she stands with him in his victory, stands with him as he discovers that he  _ can _ do this. That he  _ can _ be the greatest Saiyan, the greatest warrior, that has ever lived. The only place to go from here is  _ up _ . And he’s going to take Bulma with him.

 

In the face of that revelation, in the swell of that victory, Vegeta takes Bulma’s face in his hands and kisses her once more. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
